Power combiners and dividers based on composite right and left handed metamaterial structures

Abstract

Techniques, apparatus and systems that use composite left and right handed (CRLH) metamaterial structures to combine and divide electromagnetic signals at multiple frequencies. The metamaterial properties permit significant size reduction over a conventional N-way radial power combiner or divider. Dual-band serial power combiners and dividers and single-band and dual-band radial power combiners and dividers are described.

1. A power transforming device, comprising:
 a plurality of transmission lines, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission lines is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure; and 
 a port coupled to the plurality of transmission lines, 
 wherein each of the plurality of transmission lines has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of 0 degrees at an operating signal frequency. 
 
     
     
       2. The power transforming device as in  claim 1 , wherein the device forms a radial power combiner divider circuit. 
     
     
       3. The power transforming device as in  claim 2 , wherein the radial power combiner divider circuit combines an input power level at each of the plurality of transmission lines to produce a single output power level at the port. 
     
     
       4. The power transforming device as in  claim 2 , wherein the radial power combiner divider circuit divides a single input power level at the port into a plurality of output power levels at each of the plurality of transmission lines. 
     
     
       5. The power transforming device as in  claim 4 , wherein the radial power combiner divider circuit supports a single frequency band. 
     
     
       6. The power transforming device as in  claim 1 , wherein a physical dimension of the device is a function of the phase. 
     
     
       7. The power transforming device as in  claim 6 , wherein the (CRLH)-based structure is formed using lumped elements or distributed lines. 
     
     
       8. The power transforming device as in  claim 6 , wherein the (CRLH)-based structure is formed in a vertical configuration. 
     
     
       9. The power transforming device as in  claim 1 , wherein the port includes a feed line structure. 
     
     
       10. The power transforming device as in  claim 9 , wherein the port is formed using a conventional right-handed transmission line. 
     
     
       11. The power transforming device as in  claim 9 , wherein the port is formed using the (CRLH)-based structure. 
     
     
       12. The power transforming device as in  claim 9 , wherein the port has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of 90 degrees or an odd multiple of 90 degrees at the operating signal frequency. 
     
     
       13. The power transforming device as in  claim 12 , wherein the port has an impedance defined by the plurality of transmission lines. 
     
     
       14. The power transforming device as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical length of each of the plurality of transmission lines determines a phase value at a given frequency. 
     
     
       15. The power transforming device as in  claim 1 , wherein the (CRLH)-based structure is comprised of a right-handed series inductance, a right-handed shunt capacitance, a left-handed series capacitance, and a left-handed shunt inductance. 
     
     
       16. The power transforming device as in  claim 15 , wherein the right-handed series inductance, the right-handed shunt capacitance, the left-handed series capacitance, and the left-handed shunt inductance are spatially distributed. 
     
     
       17. A power transforming device, comprising:
 a plurality of transmission lines, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission lines is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure; and 
 a port coupled to the plurality of transmission lines, 
 wherein each of the plurality of transmission lines has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of ±180*N degrees at a first frequency range and a phase of ±180*M degrees at a second frequency range, wherein M=N−1 and N is any integer including zero. 
 
     
     
       18. The power transforming device as in  claim 17 , wherein the device forms a radial power combiner divider circuit. 
     
     
       19. The power transforming device as in  claim 18 , wherein the radial power combiner divider circuit supports multi-band frequencies. 
     
     
       20. The power transforming device as in  claim 19 , wherein the (CRLH)-based structure is comprised of a right-handed series inductance, a right-handed shunt capacitance, a left-handed series capacitance, and a left-handed shunt inductance. 
     
     
       21. The power transforming device as in  claim 20 , wherein the multi-band frequencies are comprised of at least two selectable frequencies corresponding with at least two phases. 
     
     
       22. The power transforming device as in  claim 21 , wherein a configuration of the right-handed series inductance, the right-handed shunt capacitance, the left-handed series capacitance, and the left-handed shunt inductance is a function of the at least two selectable frequencies. 
     
     
       23. The power transforming device as in  claim 17 , wherein the first frequency range is non-harmonically related to the second frequency range. 
     
     
       24. A method for a power combiner, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of power levels from a plurality of transmission lines, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission lines is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure; and 
 combining the plurality of power levels to a single power level at a port coupled to the plurality of transmission lines, 
 wherein the each of the plurality of transmission lines has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of 
 
       0 degrees. 
     
     
       25. A method for a power divider, comprising:
 receiving a single power level at a port; and 
 distributing the single power level from the port to a plurality of transmission lines, wherein each of the plurality of transmission lines is coupled to the port and at least one transmission line is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure, 
 wherein the each of the plurality of transmission lines has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of 0 degrees. 
 
     
     
       26. A method for a power combiner, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of power levels from a plurality of transmission lines, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission lines is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure; and 
 combining the plurality of power levels to a single power level at a port coupled to the plurality of transmission lines, 
 wherein each of the plurality of transmission lines has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of ±180*N degrees at first frequency range and a phase of ±180*M degrees at a second frequency range, wherein M=N−1 and N is an integer including zero. 
 
     
     
       27. A method for a power divider, comprising:
 receiving a single power level at a port; and 
 distributing the single power level from the port to a plurality of transmission lines, wherein each transmission line is coupled to the port and at least one transmission line is a composite right and left handed (CRLH)-based structure, 
 wherein each transmission line has an electrical length corresponding to a phase of ±180*N degrees at first frequency range and a phase of ±180*M degrees at a second frequency range, wherein M=N−1 and N is an integer including zero.